


That's the kind of love I've been dreaming of

by cat_es_val



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:21:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28452291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cat_es_val/pseuds/cat_es_val
Summary: Jack thinks Ianto doesn't believe he is serious about their relationship, so he wants to change that. When he does something about it, he discovers he was wrong.
Relationships: Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones
Comments: 4
Kudos: 50
Collections: Torchwood Fan Fests: 2020 Holiday Exchange





	That's the kind of love I've been dreaming of

**Author's Note:**

  * For [blackrose_17](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackrose_17/gifts).



> Gift fic for https://sweet-sammy-kisses.tumblr.com/ in the context of the Torchwood Holiday Exchange. 
> 
> I worked with her first prompt:
> 
> “Pairing: Jack/Ianto, rating any. Jack wants to settle down with Ianto, the only problem is he doesn’t know how to convince Ianto he is serious and ends up roping Tosh and an unwilling Rhys into his plans.”
> 
> It mentions some Torchwood audios (Serenity, Outbreak, and Dinner and a Show), but it’s not necessary to have listened to them to understand the fic.
> 
> I suck at titles, and I suck at summaries.

Jack was lying awake in bed with Ianto sleeping by his side. Their relationship had been becoming more and more serious after their first official date. Lately, he had been staying at Ianto’s place most days if there was no rift activity. Even if he didn’t manage a full night’s sleep he enjoyed going to bed with his partner and watching him rest. Sometimes Ianto would reach to him and pull himself closer, pressing their bodies together. Other times he would wrap an arm or a leg around one of Jack’s limbs, and hug him tightly. Not as often as in the beginning, Ianto would have nightmares, and Jack would wake him up and comfort him. The first time it had happened, Ianto had been embarrassed and asked Jack to leave, but now he allowed Jack to be with him in those vulnerable moments. 

Jack realized then that he wanted this to be a given. Yes, he spent most nights in bed with Ianto, but not all. Ianto’s flat was not Jack’s home. It felt like it, and he wanted it to be, but it wasn’t yet. They didn’t talk about their feelings often. He didn’t need Ianto to tell him how he felt. Ianto demonstrated it with actions, and they were more meaningful than words. But some things had to be talked about, and taking their relationship to another level was one of them. Jack was unsure about what Ianto’s reaction would be. They had spent some domestic months in Serenity Plaza, and the Welshman had become tired by the end of it. But he wasn’t sure if it was because they had been living together or because he was tired of the suburban lifestyle. 

The alarm startled Jack, and Ianto stirred beside him, reaching for his phone to turn the alarm off. Then, he straddled Jack and kissed him. 

“Good morning”, Ianto said, rocking his hips on top of Jack’s lap. 

“Good morning indeed”, Jack replied, smirking, and shifted their positions to be on top of Ianto, and went in for another kiss. 

They were fumbling to get their clothes off when Jack’s wrist strap chided informing them of unusual rift activity. Jack showered quickly while Ianto prepared coffee, and then Jack made them a quick breakfast while Ianto got ready, and they ate on their way to the hub. 

They had a busy day dealing with the crash of a ship brought by the rift to a small town near Cardiff. They were back in the hub after eight pm, tired and with a lot of paperwork waiting to be filled. Luckily for them, the ship was empty, escape pods missing, and they didn’t have to deal with the crew. One by one, the team left, until only Ianto and Jack remained in the hub. 

“You should go rest”, Jack told Ianto as the other man handed him a cup of coffee. “You can finish that paperwork tomorrow”. 

“Are you going to stay here tonight?”, Ianto asked. “If you are going home I can wait for you.” 

Jack felt warmth spreading from his chest to the rest of his body at Ianto saying the word _home_ . But they needed to have that conversation before he dared himself to hope Ianto was thinking _our home_ instead of _my home_. 

“Sorry, I will have to stay and finish the more urgent paperwork. UNIT is demanding some reports”, Jack replied, giving Ianto a sorry look. 

“Of course”, Ianto said, looking a bit sad. “See you tomorrow, then” He added, giving him a quick peck before walking away. Jack stopped him by holding his wrist and got up from his chair to kiss him properly. 

“See you tomorrow”, Jack said after they kissed, smiling warmly. Ianto returned the smile, kissed Jack again, and left.

Jack sighed and continued with his work, trying not to think about how much he wanted to call Ianto’s place his home. He didn’t go to bed, and instead stayed pacing the hub for a while, and later on the roof of the Plass, contemplating how to approach the subject with Ianto. 

They had a quiet day at work the next day. They finished with the analyses and reports for yesterday’s crash and then worked on their own projects. Ianto was in the tourist office replacing old pamphlets when he received a text from Jack. 

_“Dinner at 7? Chinese?”,_ It read. 

_“Sounds good.”_ He replied. And got a smiling emoji and a heart as a reply. 

Ianto kept busy in the tourist office for a while, and later in the archives, looking for some files Gwen and Tosh had requested from him. When 7 pm rolled around he went to the main area of the hub and found Jack exiting his office. 

“Busy day?” Jack asked as Ianto took the greatcoat from his arms and helped him put it on. 

“My boss likes to keep my hands full,” Ianto replied, leering, as he smoothed the lines of Jack’s coat over his shoulders. Jack pulled him closer by the waist and kissed him.

“Does he?”, he asked as a reply, releasing Ianto and offering him his arm. Ianto took it, and they walked to his car. 

Ianto was telling Jack about a Spanish couple that went by the tourist office, and how they tried to communicate by making signs and sounds. The trip to the restaurant was short and they got their table and made their order. They made small talk while waiting for their drinks and food to arrive. When everything was served they tried their food and shared it with each other. 

“Gwen’s birthday is coming up”, Ianto said. 

“We should buy her a gift”, Jack replied. 

“We… the two of us? Or ‘we’ the team?”, Ianto asked. 

“The two of us”, he said, rubbing his temple, frustrated because of the need for clarification. 

They finished their dinner while talking about what they would buy for Gwen. After that Ianto drove them to his flat. As soon as they closed the door behind them Ianto kissed Jack and started to take their clothes off. Ianto fucked Jack with desperation, clinging to him as they came, and kissing him possessively. 

Jack was not able to sleep at all that night. He couldn’t stop thinking about how Ianto was not sure if when Jack said ‘ _us’_ he was talking about the two of them or the team. Jack knew Ianto loved him. He didn’t know if he was the love of his life, but Ianto cared for him and took care of him in a way that said ‘ _I love you’._ It seemed Jack was not doing enough to make Ianto understand that the feeling was reciprocated.

Things got hard for the Torchwood team then. Gray attacked not only them, but also Cardiff, and they almost lost Tosh and Owen. Luckily, John was able to help them, and the team survived. 

Life went on, after that. Jack and Ianto kept dating, and Ianto became an important part of Jack’s daily life. They found comfort and support in each other. They fought, sometimes, but they cared for each other. More than that. They loved each other. Jack didn’t have any doubts about it now. But it seemed that Ianto was still not fully confident about how Jack felt about him, and Jack wanted to change that. 

“Gwen!” Jack called one day, while Ianto was out getting lunch for the team. “Can I borrow your husband for a few minutes sometime soon?” he asked. 

“What do you need Rhys for?” Gwen asked, looking suspicious. 

“Oh, just some questions about lorries” Jack replied, waving a hand dismissively.

“Hmm… okay. Why don’t you and Ianto come around for dinner tomorrow?”, Gwen suggested, and Jack’s heart sunk. It would be hard to reject the invitation without lifting suspicions. 

“That would be nice. Thanks.” Jack replied with his usual smile and went to look for Ianto to let him know about their dinner plans for the next day.

Jack spent some time looking into the hauling business and lorries and formulated some questions. This could actually be useful for Torchwood. They often needed to transport big artifacts or creatures, and while Ianto took responsibility for it most of the time (and then retconned the drivers), having Rhys on their side had proven useful before.

Dinner time at the Cooper-Williams’ rolled around and Jack and Ianto arrived with a bottle of wine and a fancy dessert they bought at a bakery. As they ate, Jack made Rhys the questions he had prepared, and Rhys seemed happy to have his job be the center of attention for once. Gwen and Ianto chatted and made jokes on the side, trying to contain their laughter, not to interrupt the main conversation. 

When they were done with the food, Rhys got up to clear the table and serve the dessert. Jack took this opportunity to be alone with him and offered to help. The kitchen and the dining table were not separated by a wall. But they were not so close that whispering would be heard, so once they were there he asked Rhys about the real topic of his interest. 

“Rhys, I need you to act natural, and to keep a secret, please”, Jack said, voice as low as possible. Rhys looked surprised for a second, but then doctored his expression and agreed. “I wanted to ask you… How did you go about buying Gwen an engagement ring?” He made the question quickly, a bit embarrassed, as Rhys handed him the dessert and a knife. 

“Oooh!! Ho ho ho. Gwen will be furious that I got to know about this first”, Rhys said, a wide smile on his face that changed to a neutral expression as soon as Jack shot him a mean look. “Well, it was easy, mate. After choosing the ring, I borrowed one of the rings she never uses anymore and they took the measurements in the shop”

“Oh”, Jack looked disappointed and received the small dishes Rhys was handing him. 

“I take it Ianto doesn’t wear jewelry, then”, Rhys said, unable to hide his smirk. 

“No, he doesn’t. Honestly, I don’t know what I expected”, Jack said, as they portioned the dessert. 

“Sorry, mate. I can ask the lads for other advice, I will let you know if I find out anything useful”, Rhys added, and Jack thanked him as they walked to the table, carrying the plated dessert with them. 

The next day Jack got a Text from Rhys. 

_“One of my mates said he found someone whose hands looked like her girl’s and asked for one of her rings to take to the shop”,_ It read. 

Jack sighed. That could work. They were not the type to interlock their fingers while romantically strolling down the bay. But they were the type to interlock their fingers while fucking each other senseless. Jack had held Ianto’s hand enough times for this to work. He didn’t want anyone to know about his plans in case they failed, so he would have to be as subtle as he could.

With Gwen it was easy. They were both very tactile people. She would often hold his arm or his hand after a rough day at work, or even while simply walking, so he didn’t even have to try. Her fingers were too thin, compared to Ianto’s. 

Next was Tosh. He was able to feel her hand a few days later after he was killed by a weevil during a hunt. A couple of weevils had been causing trouble. Owen was tending to wounded civilians, while Ianto and Gwen had gone chasing one weevil one way, and he and Tosh had gone for the other, that had run the opposite way. The weevil had jumped to attack Tosh, and he threw himself in front of her, receiving the attack. Tosh was able to neutralize the alien while it was attacking Jack, but it had been too late. Jack had been mauled by the weevil and Tosh waited for him to come back, with his head on her lap. He felt bad, lying to her when she looked so worried, but he pretended to be disoriented and held her hand. Her fingers were too stubby. 

Owen was the hardest. It took him a few days to get a good opportunity, and it had actually come thanks to Owen himself. They went to a pub after a quiet day at the hub, taking the chance to bond as a team. Jack got up to fetch another round of drinks, and before leaving he squeezed Ianto’s shoulder and gave him a peck on the lips.

“I see you have been upgraded from a part-time shag, teaboy”, Owen retorted, not in an ill hearted way, they all knew they had been dating for over a year now, but just wanting to work up Ianto a bit, loving to banter with him.

“Don’t get jealous, Owen. I’ll admit, Ianto is my favorite now, but I still love all of you”, Jack replied, and took Owen’s hands on his own, caressing his fingers. Owen withdrew his hands quickly, with a scowl on his face. 

“Back off, Harkness”, Owen retorted, wiping his hands on his clothes, like a child wiping a kiss on his cheek, while Gwen, Tosh, and Ianto laughed. 

Jack left to get the drinks, disappointed in the fact that Owen’s hands were too small compared to Ianto’s. He briefly thought that he had forgotten about Rhys. But his hands were probably bigger than Ianto’s. He would have to think of something else. 

Owen drove Tosh to her place, while Jack took care of Gwen and Ianto. They were not extremely drunk, but they were both in the backseat of Ianto’s car, leaning on each other, and talking with a Welsh accent so heavy that he could not understand everything. When he dropped Gwen off Rhys asked him how things were going, with a knowing look. He told him how his search had gone, and that he needed a new plan. 

“Good luck, mate. You can always resize the ring. I think the gesture is what should count”, Rhys told him in a hushed voice, even though it looked like Ianto had fallen asleep. 

“Thank you, Rhys. You two have a good night.” Jack replied, and drove off to Ianto’s apartment. 

Ianto had, in fact, fallen asleep on the backseat of the car, and Jack laughed at the irony of carrying him to bed bridal style. He carefully removed the other man’s clothes, and folded them neatly, as Ianto would do, to put them in a laundry basket in the bathroom. He took the shoes to the entrance of the apartment, where there was a shoe rack, and left his own shoes there too. Then he stripped off his clothes and lay next to his partner. He was kept awake by his thoughts again, trying to find a way to find out Ianto’s ring size. 

He remembered, at that moment, that he had been so focused on that part of the task that he hadn’t even gone looking for an actual ring. He had to think about the color, the material, the stone. What would Ianto like? Something modest and discreet, probably. Gold was traditional, but he didn’t know if Ianto would like to keep it traditional. Should he even be thinking about a ring? He could propose using anything! He sighed and tried to stop his train of thought from derailing any further. He would continue thinking about this tomorrow. 

As they got ready for work the next morning, Jack decided he would recruit Toshiko’s help this time. Maybe she knew about some alien device they had that could help. After Ianto had made his morning coffee run and had gone to the archives, he called Tosh into his office. 

“Good morning, Jack”, she said with a smile as she sat in front of him. “What do you need to talk about with me?” 

“I want to ask Ianto to marry me”, Jack said. 

“This is great news!!” Tosh exclaimed, a wide smile on her face. 

“But I am having trouble getting Ianto’s ring size”, he added. “So I was wondering if you knew about any piece of technology that could help with that.” 

“Mmm… Maybe you should ask Owen?”, Tosh suggested but had her brow furrowed in a thinking expression. 

“I don’t want a lot of people to know, and he may blurt it out just to mess with him. You know how those two can get when they start their fights.”

“Yeah, you are right. Well, thank you for trusting me”, she said, smiling widely. “I can’t think of anything that could be useful out of the top of my head. But I can check. I can think of something very ordinary, and pretty much terrestrial, though” She added.

“Uh? What would that be?”, Jack asked, eyebrow lifted in a questioning look. 

“There are cheap adjustable rings. You would have to find a way of putting one on Ianto’s finger without raising suspicions, though”, she said. 

“Hmmm… I don’t know if he expects me to propose, so I don’t know how suspicious it would be. Weird, very.” 

“Yeah, it would be a bit unusual”, Tosh agreed. “Well, as you know, after the case we worked at the opera house, we have made a habit of going to see a performance when we find the time”, she added. “And luckily for you, we will be going to a function next week. After that, we usually have some drinks at my apartment. I could find a way of making him try on a ring.”

“Sounds like a plan”, Jack replied, beaming. “Thank you, Tosh”, he added, and she got up to leave. 

“Good luck”’, she told him before closing the door. 

Torchwood and imminent alien threats made Tosh and Ianto cancel their plans. 

Shortly after that, Cardiff was plagued by the Invictus virus. A virus that made the infected kill the people they love to then die. Jack told Ianto he loved him while infected, and then tried to kill him. Luckily, they were able to put the situation under control, and no one on the team was harmed.

Because of their work, Jack saw Ianto in dangerous situations all the time, and each time he had a harder time accepting that. He knew Ianto was skilled and competent, but he was scared that something outside of their control would go wrong and Ianto would be killed. They fought about it. When Ianto would go with them on field missions as support Jack would try to convince him to stay away from danger, but he was always useful and resourceful. Eventually, the rest of the team talked to Jack and he stopped trying to keep Ianto out of field missions, but he never stopped worrying. 

He had looked for rings, and he had decided on a white gold band with a slim rectangular piece of ruby in the middle. Red was Ianto’s color, and ruby was a symbol of unbridled love. He still had to get Ianto’s ring size though, and he didn’t have any new ideas. 

One afternoon Tosh knocked on his office door. As she entered he noticed she was carrying a small device with her. 

“Hello Jack!”, she said as she made her way to her desk. 

“Hi, Tosh. To what do I owe the honor?”

“Well, a while ago you asked me if I knew of something that would allow you to get Ianto’s ring size”, she told him, placing the device on his desk. “I think this can help! Ianto and I are trying to better classify some of the gadgets in the archives that don’t have a description. I made some security checks on this, and then some tests, and it seems it measures the dimensions of whatever it comes into contact with”, she explained. 

“Interesting”, Jack replied, examining the device. “It does look like a piece of technology from my time. Like measuring tape, but reading in information from the atoms of an object. It takes into consideration the density and electromagnetic radiation of the atoms.” He booted up the device and was greeted by a message in the standard intergalactic language. “Looks like you can set it up for different materials. It includes carbon-based life forms”, he said while pressing some buttons, and put the device in his hand. 

“Is it working?”, Tosh asked, leaning over the desk, trying to see the screen of the device. 

“It is!”, Jack beamed and moved his hand with the device on top closer to Tosh so she could see. “This line will be filled when it’s done”.

“This could be very useful in the field. And for Owen”, Tosh pointed out. 

“Yes, the one I had was only able to measure metals, but this one can be set up for all sorts of materials. Do you think you can translate it to English?”, Jack asked. 

“Of course I can!”, Tosh exclaimed. 

“It’s done”, Jack said. “Look. Perimeter, volume, circumference, density, and weight of my hand and of each finger.” 

“Wow. So, definitely useful for your plans!”

“Indeed”, Jack smiled. “Could you get me those measurements from Ianto’s hand?”

“No problem! I will ask him for help testing the device”, Tosh smiled. 

“Thank you, Tosh”, Jack said, and she left. 

By the end of the day, she slipped Jack a post-it with Ianto’s hand measurements stuck to a report on rift activity. The next day he offered to go pick up lunch for the team and took the opportunity to sneak to the jewelry shop. They had the ring he wanted in stock, so he went back to the hub with bags of fish and chips in his hands and a ring in his pocket. 

That weekend, he and Ianto would be celebrating the anniversary of their first official date, and he would ask him to marry him. They were not the kind of couple to make cheesy romantic plans. But he wanted to make this special, and he had thought of something, but he would need Rhys’ help again. He caught up with Rhys in the tourist office, as he was waiting for Gwen. 

“Hello Rhys!”, Jack said with his characteristic charming smile. 

“Oh, hi Jack. How are things going?”

“Well, I have a ring”, Jack said, lowering his voice. “And I need your help again.”

“Uhh… What can I do for you?”, Rhys asked, doubtful. 

“I need transport”, Jack said. “I want to take a table, a couple of chairs, and some other things to a hill just outside of Cardiff”

“You don’t need a lorry for that”, Rhys said.

“No, but I can’t take the SUV, it will be on maintenance”

“My car is not big enough”

“Oh, come on! Don’t make it easy for me to make a size joke”, Jack said, laughing. 

“Oh, for god’s sake”

“Sorry!" Jack exclaimed, not looking sorry at all. "You can get hold of a van or something, though?”

“We have some at work,” Rhys said, still doubtful. 

“I can hire you for the job”, Jack said. 

“Gwen would kill me if I refuse to help make this happen”, Rhys gave as an answer. “I can sign it off for personal use. Perks of being the boss”

“Thank you, Rhys”, Jack said, a wide smile returning to his face. “Saturday at 3 pm, here at the hub”

“What should I tell the wife?”

“Oh, I will tell her so you don’t get in trouble”, Jack replied. “Bye!”

“See you mate!”, Rhys said, and Jack left. A few seconds later Gwen appeared and they went home. 

On Saturday, Rhys helped Jack load a round table, two chairs, and some boxes into a van, and drove him 30 minutes outside of Cardiff, to the foot of a hill. 

“You want me to help you get everything up the hill?”, Rhys asked, incredulous. “You didn’t tell me about this.”

“Please”, Jack pouted. Rhys didn’t think that Jack would ever pull a face like that, all handsome and serious most of the time. 

“Ok, ok. I can help you”, he conceded but made a point of complaining all the way going up, while helping Jack set up everything, and all the way down. And then some more as they drove back to Cardiff. 

“I’ll make sure to send Gwen home early next week”, Jack told him as they parted ways at the hub. 

“You better”, Rhys replied, smiling. “Good luck”, he added, and he drove off. 

Ianto picked Jack up on his car, but as soon as they greeted each other, Jack asked him for the keys and put a blindfold over his eyes. 

“Kinky, I like it”, Ianto said, as Jack started the car. 

“Looks like the team is right, I am a bad influence on you”, Jack chuckled. 

“Where are we going?”, Ianto asked as they drove off.

“It’s a surprise”, Jack replied. 

“What are we doing”, Ianto asked after a short silence. 

“Surprise!”, Jack said. 

“Come on, give me a clue”, Ianto said, pouting. 

“Don’t pull that face on me, you know I can’t resist it”, Jack said.

“You should be focusing on the road”, Ianto replied, and Jack huffed.

They listened to some music and talked about their week during the rest of the trip. When they arrived, Jack removed Ianto’s blindfold so they could safely get to the top of the hill.

As they arrived, Ianto was able to see the table with a white tablecloth, and the two chairs set at opposite sides of the table. The table was set with a pair of plates, two champagne flutes, two candles at either side, and in the middle a small vase with red roses. There were some battery-powered fairy lights hanging from a big tree and under it a blanket where there were a picnic basket and some pillows. 

“Jack?”, Ianto gasped, seeing what Jack had set up for them.

“Too much?”, Jack asked, feeling slightly self-conscious. 

“This is beautiful”, Ianto said and kissed him. 

Jack went to pull out one of the chairs for Ianto, and the other man sat. Then he went to the picnic basket and took out a champagne bottle and an insulated food container and a spatula. He set the bottle on the table and served Ianto a portion of lasagne, to then serve one for himself. He then opened the champagne bottle and poured them both a glass. 

“Cheers”, he said, lifting his glass, and Ianto did the same, clicking the glasses together. 

“Thank you”, Ianto said after they took a sip from their glasses. “This is… I didn’t expect something like this”

“I am glad I can still surprise you”, Jack replied smiling. 

“Oh, I don’t think that is something you need to worry about”, Ianto laughed. “There is so much we don’t know about you”, he added and took a bite of food.

“Does that bother you?”, Jack asked with a worried expression. 

“It used to”, Ianto said. “It doesn’t anymore. You have gotten better at telling us what is relevant at work. And you have shared enough with me. I don’t care about your past. I care about your present, and I know you are transparent about it with us.”

“Thank you”, Jack said, voice strained. “For a long time, it seemed to me you thought the opposite.”

“Oh… For a while I did. I… We are not very good at communicating directly.”

“No, we aren’t”, Jack chuckled. “Unless one of us is infected with an alien virus, usually me.”

“Yeah”, Ianto chuckled too. “We have been doing better, though.”

“We have”, Jack smiled warmly. 

“I know you care about me. I know you love me. I can count on you. And that’s what matters to me”, Ianto said, reaching for Jack’s hand. 

“And I know you care about me and love me. You have done so much for me, Ianto, and I think you don’t know how much you mean to me, even if you know I love you” Jack took Ianto’s hand. “You are someone I know I can trust. You have proved that so many times by now. And I have come to the realization that I need you. And it scares me, but I can’t help but rely on you.”

“I know you will outlive me”, Ianto said, squeezing Jack’s hand, “but I want to make the most of the time we have together.”

“I do too”, Jack said, and withdrew his hand, to search for the ring box in his pocket. “That’s why I wanted to ask you... Ianto Jones, would you marry me?” he said, presenting the box to Ianto, and opening it as he finished the question. 

“I…”, Ianto laughed, and Jack’s expression turned from expectation to worried. “Sorry for laughing”, Ianto said quickly, upon noticing Jack’s worry. He took a small blue satin ring box from the pocket of his jacket, opened it, and presented it to Jack. “I think we are on the same page.”

“Yeah, it looks like it”, Jack said, a wide grin on his face.

Ianto took the ring he was offering Jack out of the box, and extended an empty hand, indicating Jack to move his hand closer. Jack did, and Ianto slid the band on his finger. It was a golden band that curled over itself in the front. A mobius loop, usually associated with infinity, because of its lack of distinguishable beginning and end.

“You will probably live forever, and I don’t want you to feel guilty if you ever forget me,” Ianto said. “I don’t want you to forget me, of course. But you carry so much guilt over the death of those you outlive... It’s not your fault.” Ianto said, and Jack noticed his vision blurring and felt a tear falling down his cheek. “I love you,” Ianto added and leaned in for a kiss. 

“I don’t think it will be possible to forget you”, Jack said. “You have weaved yourself very intricately into my life. I didn’t know it, but I needed you in my life. I am glad you lured me into that warehouse with Myfanwy.” He added, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. “You are an incredible person, Ianto.”

Jack took the ring he had bought for Ianto and reached for his partner’s hand. Ianto gave it to him and he slid the band on his ring finger. Then he kissed Ianto’s hand. 

“A ruby?”, Ianto asked, looking at the band. 

“Yes. I am madly in love with you, Ianto Jones. And I want you to remember it every time you see that ring on your finger”, Jack said smiling, and Ianto left his seat to passionately kiss him. 

Food forgotten, they moved to the blanket Jack had set up. Jack propped himself against the tree trunk and Ianto sat on his lap, planting kisses on his neck. They fumbled with each other’s shirts for a while.

When they finally managed to get rid of them, Jack changed their position. Ianto was now laying on the blanket, and he was on top, biting Ianto’s lower lip, then his jaw, and then his neck. Then he moved his lips from Ianto’s clavicles to one of his nipples and circled it with the tip of his tongue, making Ianto lift his hips slightly. Jack put his hand on Ianto’s crotch, feeling how his cock hardened at the touch. He moved and opened Ianto’s trousers, lowering his pants to release his erection and put his lips around it. 

Jack moved his head rhythmically up and down, making Ianto moan and rock his hips. Jack ran his hands up and down Ianto’s thighs, and when he felt Ianto tensing, nearing climax, he pinned him down by the hips and moved his head faster. Ianto came with a strangled moan and his body relaxed. Jack cleaned them and laid next to him. Ianto reached for his crotch with a hand, but Jack stopped him. 

“You can pay me back in kind at your place”, Jack said and kissed Ianto’s forehead. 

“You mean our place”, Ianto said and moved to lay embracing Jack. 

“Our place”, Jack smiled. “We should pack everything up and go. It’s getting late.” Jack stood and helped Ianto get up. They ate cold lasagne and finished the served Champagne glasses while talking about officially moving Jack into Ianto’s apartment, and then packed everything and returned to the car. 

“Hey, I am curious”, Jack said as Ianto drove them back to Cardiff. “How did you get my ring size? This fits perfectly.” He asked, admiring the golden band on his finger. 

“A device from the archives. I kind of knew what it did, but I asked Tosh to check it with you” Ianto said.

“Oooh, she is good”, Jack replied, laughing. “I had asked her for help and she went with the device to my office, saying you two were organizing unclassified items in the archives”. 

“Well, we are”, Ianto smiled. “But that one was not unclassified”. 

“Well, we must thank her, somehow”

“Yes, we must.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is where my brain went with that prompt. I hope you liked it!
> 
> Rhys' suggestion to feel other people's hands to find out Ianto's ring size comes from a reddit post.
> 
> This line: “No, we aren’t”, Jack chuckled. “Unless one of us is infected with an alien virus, usually me” references Outbreak and The Deadline (though I don't know if what happens in the latter is a virus?). 
> 
> [This is the reference for the ring Jack gave Ianto, but with a red stone.](https://www.brilliance.com/engagement-rings/mens/mens-engagement-ring-with-baguette-sapphire/)
> 
> [This is the ring Ianto gave Jack.](https://www.valeriemadison.com/collections/masculine-wedding-bands/products/mens-mobius-band-ring-le102?variant=31102549251/)


End file.
